By Laurie Stone A well-stocked library can be a cornerstone for students which opens a door of opportunity for a growing mind as their interests and education develops. Thanks to the general obligation bond issue that was passed in Nov. 2002, Billy Dixon, the Portales Junior High librarian, puchased $20,000 dollars worth of new books. […]

By Tony Parra A new drug and alcohol prevention program at Valencia Elementary will be one of the first programs introduced to a New Mexico school, according to Roosevelt County Teen Court Coordinator Barbara Rogers. Rogers was in training with two other facilitators — Marcia Brown, DWI Program coordinator ,and Riki Seat, DWI Compliance coordinator […]

By Tony Parra No more swim trunks, no more waking up at noon, no more relaxation from studying for a test. It’s back to school. Portales schools will have their house openings on Thursday, allowing parents to visit with teachers and administrators and take tours of the classrooms. Evelyn Ledbetter worked a fruit and vegetable […]

By Neal McCluskey For an instant, the National Education Association (NEA) seemed poised to turn a corner. “Let me send my kids to the schools where yours go,” NEA president Reg Weaver exhorted a Florida crowd in May, sparking hope that the leader of the nation’s largest teachers union was about to demand school choice. No […]

By Tony Parra Portales Schools Finance Director Murphy Quick presented a rough draft of the 2004-05 budget to the school board members on Wednesday and all of the talk was regarding what effect a three-tier licensure will cause to the budget. The New Mexico Legislature approved House Bill 212 to implement a three-tier plan to […]

By Michelle Seeber The Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education met Wednesday to discuss the 2004-2005 budget and approved the transportation contract for next year with Shearer School Buses. During the budget work session, board members discussed salary requirements set forth by House Bill 212, which the New Mexico Legislature approved in 2003 to reform […]

Tony Parra Budget discussions dominated Tuesday night’s Portales Municipal School Board meeting. School board members approved an agreement between the school district and Greer Stafford Inc. for a new wing at Brown Early Childhood Center. The agreement requires the project not exceed the allocated $1.5 million before taxes. “(Cost) is going to be on a […]

Tony Parra For the second year in a row, a James Elementary teacher has won the Newspapers In Education Teacher of the Year Award. Alfreda Sigala, a second-grade bilingual teacher at James Elementary School, won the award for the Portales area. Sigala said she has been working as a James Elementary teacher for four years. […]

Mike Linn A Portales school principal has been suspended for improper distribution of the New Mexico Writing Assessment, a school official said Thursday. David VanWettering, principal of Valencia Elementary, has been suspended for an undisclosed amount of time for distributing the assessment to his teachers too early, Portales School Board President David Brooks said. “David […]

Michelle Sebber By Michelle Seeber Freedom Newspapers Michelle_Seeber@link.freedom.com Sen. Gay G. Kernan, R-Hobbs, is a school teacher who favors higher pay for teachers. But she disagrees with one provision of new legislation aimed at achieving that goal. Kernan was in Clovis and Portales on Monday, announcing her plans to seek election to the District 42 […]

Michelle Seeber New Mexico lawmakers on Monday told retired educators they’ll have to fix their retirement fund themselves. The fund is $2.3 billion short of what actuarial studies projected it would grow to over the last three years, with assets totaling $6.1 billion instead of $9.3 billion, according to information provided at the forum, which […]

By Helena Rodriguez Connie Sunday may be new to Portales, but the professional musician and teacher is making herself known in both local and national music circles. Not only has she developed a roster of private students since she moved here from Albuquerque four months ago, but she is also mentioned twice in the September […]

Bob Huber As a card-carrying member of the Old Geezer Party, I take great pleasure chewing the fat with contemporaries over tales of bygone school days — you know, back when teachers were mean, ugly, stupid dinosaurs, and all the kids were brilliant scholars. “Do you remember that goofy old Miz Gluttenflugger? One time she […]

By Mike Linn The Portales School Board at Monday night’s meeting voted to accept in-house health services for students and teachers at Valencia Grade School. A nurse practitioner from La Casa Health Center will work at Valencia to provide the services, which will allow students and teachers quick diagnosis and treatment rather than having to […]

By Gary Mitchell Although Melrose math teacher Lisa Graham didn’t feel “worthy” of her recent Golden Apple Award, her colleagues and peers did. Earlier this month, Graham was one of seven teachers presented with the 2003 award at the “Tribute to Teachers” recognition dinner in Albuquerque. The annual award is presented to teachers who represent […]

By Mike Linn Portales schools will lose two administrative positions and five years worth of savings to balance their budget, officials said on Monday. The Portales Municipal School Board approved the tentative budget by a 3-1 vote, citing unfunded government mandates to raise teachers’ salaries as reason for the cuts and draining of cash reserves. […]

By Angela Peacock By Angela Peacock PNT Staff Writer Angela_Peacock@link.freedom.com The destination is Wusuta, Africa, for 18 public school teachers who will spend 28 days studying a culture in a place where running water and electricity are considered luxuries. Eastern New Mexico University’s Family and Consumer Sciences Department has received a grant from the United […]

By Mike Linn Local school board officials are frustrated about the disbursement of Legislative funds for new federal mandates that promise to increase teachers’ salaries and other expenses next school year. The amount the New Mexico State Department of Education (NMSDE) has designated to Portales Municipal Schools for salary hikes and yearly expenses will leave […]